Armed standoff at Tacoma Mall (WA)

Eyewitness ^ | 11/20/05 | Ramius

[Ramius]

Two separate reports, one from my Dad and one from a friend... both at Tacoma Mall. Not being allowed inside, due to "someone inside with a semiautomatic shooting in the mall".

Large number of police on the scene, sealing the exits. Not letting anyone in or out.

Will post a source as soon as I have one.

[Tempest]

I'll bet you $20 that he is.

[Mr. Mojo]

Any info on the perp yet?

A name, for instance?

[Mr. Mojo]

If his name were Mohammad would we ever find out?

[Boazo]

Sure can learn a lot by your N number.

[Lancer_N3502A]

About me flying flightsims online but that's about it.

[grimalkin]

Link to story.

Not exactly a clear picture, but it's the only one I could find.

[TheErnFormerlyKnownAsBig]

I read this on FR first. First "news" report I heard said the weapon was a "Chinese AK5" ???

When I turned the radio on and they broadcast the bulletin, my first comment to the better half was, "and you ask me why I carry everytime I leave the house."

[ecurbh]

bet ya dollar he isnt white

Hmmm, he looks pretty white-bread-Mormon-missionary to me. Might wanna rethink that knee-jerk racial response there.

[Danae]

Any further news???

[Horatio Gates]

AK 5..where have I heard that before? Some sort of Scandahoovian IKEA army issue?

I admit that I don't always carry a piece when not at work and away from home. I hope that don't bite me on the butt one of these days but I need something a bit more concealable. All my stuff is large framed.

[RetiredArmy]

I cannot stand to watch the reporting on NWCN right now. They are having all these stupids call in and tell what they saw, heard, was there, etc. Some of these fools are calling in and saying thing like:

Reporter: We have Homer on the line now. Homer tell us what you saw and heard.

Reporter: Homer are you there?

Homer: Hello? Hello? Are we on the air?

Reporter: Yes, Homer, we have you now. Tell us what you saw please.

Homer: Well, me and my girrrrllfriend, Wanda wuz down, you know, there at the mall. Like, you know, we were in the food court area, you know, and we heard pops, and like you know, Wanda thought a display had fallen over, you know, and like you know, then, you know, all these people start screaming, you know, running around, you know and the place goes nuts.

Reporter: Homer, did you see the shooter?

Homer: No.

Reporter: Did you see his gun?

Homer: No. But, we wuz real scared. You know, like, I grabbed Wanda's arm, you know and dragged her out of there, you know, real fast like, you know.

Reporter: Ok, thank you Homer for that informative, eyewitness report.

Homer: Your welcome (Homer's 3 minutes of fame are now over).

But the winner was the broad who called in, said she made eye-to-eye contact with the shooter, saw him as he was looking right at her, drop his coat, pull out the gun, and she said they made eye-to-eye contact for ANOTHER 30 SECONDS OR SO!!! Never once did this woman EVEN think for one second, to yell something like: "Man with a gun," or any warnings at all!! Sure, it could have started a stampede, but don't you think that when the shooting started, a stampede started anyway!!!

[TheErnFormerlyKnownAsBig]

All my stuff is large framed.

Well you ain't exactly pitite.

[bvw]

You hunt? A hunter is "turned on". Most people aren't. Maybe New Yorkers. People who live near crack alleys have to be. Most people aren't. That intense quick-reaction situational awareness is not necessarily a good thing.

There's war mode and then there's peace mode. Most people are in peace mode. And should be.

[RetiredArmy]

No, I am in the mode of paying attention to my surroundings. I guess it comes with being in the military all those years. I am aware of my surroundings every time I venture out. YOU NEVER know what might happen and what actions you might have to take to protect yourself and your family. It is not a big, happy, tame, calm world out there anymore. Beaver and Wally are not skipping down the sidewalks all happy and content. It is a severely damaged and dangerous world out there now. Kids getting grabbed off the street going to school, shooters in schools, in malls, and the bad guys out there wanting to blow up a few million of us. You might be in the "peace" mode, but I am not. I haven't been since I hit the ground in An Khe, Republic of Vietnam in August 1970. Ever since, I have always paid attention to my surroundings. I always keep one eye looking out for something wrong. Several times in my life it has come in very handy.

[Hank Rearden]

Channel 41 NWCN is on site and non-stop with callers on clee phones giving interviews ...

I had one of those - every damn call came in backwards, so I fed it to my dog. Clees are surprisingly digestible.